³ but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. ^(A)He even burned his son as an offering,^{[a] (B)}according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.

^17 (A)And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings^[a] and used ^(B)divination and ^(C)omens and ^(D)sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.

³¹ And they have built the high places of ^(A)Topheth, which is in ^(B)the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, ^(C)to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, ^(D)which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.

²⁰ No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice ^(A)they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.

³⁷ For ^(A)they have committed adultery, ^(B)and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even ^(C)offered up^[a] to them for food the children whom they had borne to me.

²⁶ and I defiled them through ^(A)their very gifts ^(B)in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it ^(C)that they might know that I am the Lord.

^20 (A)And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and ^(B)these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter ²¹ that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them?